Device having a heat exchanger and method for operating a heat exchanger of a device

Abstract

A device having a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger has pipes which carry a cooling medium, wherein the heat exchanger has a fin arrangement which is penetrated by the pipes, and wherein the heat exchanger has a heating device integrated in the heat exchanger, with a control device for controlling the heating device, wherein the heating device has two or more separately controllable heating sections, wherein each heating section is assigned a defrosting area of the heat exchanger, and wherein the heating device is set up for the separate defrosting of individual defrosting areas of the heat exchanger by the separately controllable heating sections.

1 . A device comprising:
 a heat exchanger,   wherein the heat exchanger has pipes which carry a cooling medium,   wherein the heat exchanger has a fin arrangement which is penetrated by the pipes,   and wherein the heat exchanger has a heating device integrated in the heat exchanger,   with a control device for controlling the heating device,   wherein   the heating device has two or more separately controllable heating sections,   wherein each heating section is assigned a defrosting area of the heat exchanger,   and wherein the heating device is set up for separate defrosting of individual defrosting areas of the heat exchanger by the separately controllable heating sections.   
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the two or more separately controllable heating sections and the defrosting areas of the heat exchanger assigned to each heating section are arranged in rows and/or columns.   
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 heating elements of the heating device are arranged partially or completely within an envelope of the fin arrangement.   
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the heating elements comprise electric heating elements, such as heating rods or the like, which penetrate the fin arrangement.   
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 each heating section is assigned a separately controllable heating rod or   in that each heating section is assigned a controllable segment of a heating rod or   in that each heating section is assigned a heating rod group or   in that each heating section is assigned a bow-shaped electrical heating element.   
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the heating elements have pipes which penetrate the fin arrangement.   
     
     
         7 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 each heating section is assigned a controllable pipe or each heating section is assigned a controllable segment of a pipe or each heating section is assigned a controllable group of pipes,   wherein control is carried out by switchable valves.   
     
     
         8 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the pipes of the heating direction which serve as heating elements are provided separately from those pipes of the heat exchanger which carry the cooling medium.   
     
     
         9 . The device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the pipes of the heating direction which serve as heating elements correspond to those pipes of the heat exchanger which carry the cooling medium,   wherein the pipes are configured to be switched between a heating mode and a cooling mode by the control device.   
     
     
         10 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 an expansion valve,   a changeover valve, such as a two-way valve, a three-way valve, a four-way valve or the like,   a compressor,   an evaporator and   a condenser are provided, which form a refrigeration circuit,   wherein the heat exchanger forms the evaporator or the condenser,   wherein the heating direction has a hot gas defrosting system or a warm brine defrosting system, which can be switched by the changeover valve.   
     
     
         11 . The device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein   the control device is set up for sensor-controlled control of the heating device,   wherein at least one monitoring device is provided, such as a sensor, a device for photographic imaging or the like, and   wherein the monitoring device is provided for detecting a degree of icing, for determining a defrosting time and for controlling a defrosting process by the control device.   
     
     
         12 . The device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 two or more monitoring areas are monitored by the monitoring device,   wherein the monitoring areas are arranged in rows and/or columns.   
     
     
         13 . The device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 one or more of the monitoring devices listed below are provided:   temperature sensor,   pressure sensor,   humidity sensor,   device for photographic imaging in the visible wavelength range,   device for photographic imaging in the non-visible wavelength range,   thermal imaging camera,   infrared camera.   
     
     
         14 . The device according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein a first group of one or more monitoring areas is associated with a first arrangement of one or more first monitoring devices for monitoring the first group of one or more monitoring areas, and   wherein a second group of one or more monitoring areas is associated with a second arrangement of one or more second monitoring devices for monitoring the second group of one or more monitoring areas.   
     
     
         15 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control device is set up for time-based and/or sensor-controlled control of the heating device and/or   the control device is set up for AI-based control of the heating device and/or   the control device is set up to control the heating device using thermal images taken by a thermal imaging camera of the device.   
     
     
         16 . A method including the following steps of:
 operating a heat exchanger of a device;   defrosting the heat exchanger by a heating device of the heat exchanger; whereby   during defrosting of the heat exchanger, two or more separately controllable heating sections of the heating device are controlled by a control device, and   defrosting areas of the heat exchanger assigned to the heating sections are defrosted by the separately controllable heating sections.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 all defrosting areas are defrosted simultaneously and then individual or several heating sections are switched off, and/or   defrosting of one defrosting area or several defrosting areas of the heat exchanger takes place, while no defrosting takes place for one or more further defrosting areas of the heat exchanger, and/or   defrosting of one defrosting area or several defrosting areas of the heat exchanger takes place with a first heating power, while defrosting of a further defrosting area or several further defrosting areas of the heat exchanger takes place with a second heating power which is different from the first heating power.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the defrosting areas of the heat exchanger are defrosted row by row and/or column by column.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 a degree of icing of the heat exchanger is monitored during operation of the heat exchanger,   wherein two or more monitoring areas ( 29 ,  31 ,  33 ,  35 ) of the heat exchanger are monitored by at least one monitoring device,   wherein a degree of icing is determined for each monitoring area of the heat exchanger, wherein the monitoring areas are arranged particular in rows and/or columns.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the device comprises a heat exchanger having pipes which carry a cooling medium, wherein the heat exchanger has a fin arrangement which is penetrated by the pipes, and wherein the heat exchanger has a heating device integrated in the heat exchanger, with a control device for controlling the heating device, wherein the heating device has two or more separately controllable heating sections, wherein each heating section is assigned a defrosting area of the heat exchanger, and wherein the heating device is set up for separate defrosting of individual defrosting areas of the heat exchanger by means of the separately controllable heating sections, and/or   the control of the heating device is carried out in a time-based and/or sensor-controlled manner and/or   the control of the heating device is carried out in an AI-based manner and/or   the control of the heating device is carried out using thermal images from a thermal imaging camera.